Why Huawei?
No wonder Donald Trump is worried about the technological and commercial threat Huawei’s poses to US companies. [...]
Technology
Stop predicting the future (and go back to work)
Good policy can help to give people the flexibility and adaptability to succeed in changing circumstances. [...]
A robo-tax
Bill Gates wants a tax on robots. But what about all the other things that have made us ever made more productive? [...]
Our moral, digital future
There are ethical and legal issues regarding most future innovations. Some may be resolved by applying existing legal principles. Some will require us to rethink what civil and criminal liability means in a world in which machines make decisions on our behalf. [...]
Why the EU is hung up on mobile roaming
The idea of abolishing all roaming rates across the EU may have populist appeal, and it is easy to see why EU politicians are pushing the idea. However, it is equally clear why such a policy does not make much sense. [...]
Fakebooking our world
Next time you visit a politician’s Facebook profile or Twitter account, do not be fooled that their working days consist mainly of kissing babies, cutting ribbons or speaking in Parliament. Who knows, they might have gone on a holiday around Cambodia instead. [...]
Fighting bad government policy the South African way
Two countries, two successful internet entrepreneurs, two clashes with government. Last week we witnessed an epic Twitter battle between Trade Me founder Sam Morgan and Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce over the usefulness of research grants. Meanwhile, founder of Thawte Consulting and the Ubuntu Linux OS, Mark Shuttleworth, won a long legal fight against the South African Reserve Bank. [...]
The more things change, the more others stay the same
The older I get, the more I feel at home in the hardly changing world of government-provided services. It’s scary, and I am only 39. [...]
Europe’s growth-killing cult
By putting an overemphasis on risk, Europe has turned itself into an inward looking, stagnant society. No wonder that path-breaking research increasingly happens outside the EU. [...]